The human gastrointestinal tract is susceptible to various diseases, one of which is the proliferation of tissues over the mucous membranes. In other words, the formation of polyps. They can occur anywhere in the digestive system. Polyps in the stomach appear quite rarely, mainly in middle-aged people. In most cases, formations do not affect the patient’s well-being, so they are difficult to detect. This must be done, as ignoring tumors leads to the development of complications.
The essence of the disease
Polyps in the stomach are epithelial neoplasms of a benign nature. In some situations, the appearance of oncology is possible, but we will talk more about this later. As already noted, the pathology is quite rare, with almost no symptoms. It is proceeding calmly, only an attentive person can notice a stomach problem in himself, because there are no signs. If you just press on the stomach, you can feel painful sensations, and that’s all. But there are many reasons why the intestines can hurt, so no one will think about polyps.
Often, the disease is detected by chance, during the passage of any research. Polyps are formed in the stomach for a reason. In most cases, they are evidence of a response of the body to the inflammatory processes that operate in the gastrointestinal tract. If we talk about the demographic factor, the disease occurs most often in men aged 40-50 years. Sometimes tumors occur in the stomachs of young people and very young children.
Why is there such a problem?
In fact, there are many factors that directly or indirectly affect this process. Consider the main causes of polyps in the stomach:
- Diet. A large part of the globe does not eat well, hence the feet of many diseases grow. If you eat smoked meats, spices and marinades in considerable quantities, be prepared for the appearance of neoplasms of a benign nature.
- Helicobacter pylori infection. This bacterium is considered quite dangerous due to rapid reproduction, it can cause gastritis. If the disease takes a chronic form, in some places mucosal atrophy will be detected. Then, tissue growth can occur there under the influence of microbes.
- Long-term use of drugs. Some medicines irritate the stomach lining, including cytostatics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and hormones.
- Smoking. Nicotine contained in cigarettes mixes with saliva and has a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Polyps in the stomach in smokers occur most often.
- Inflammatory processes. Bacteria are able to attack the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in the formation of fibrous micro-scars.
- Radiation. As you know, if ionizing radiation for a long time affects the human body, the inner walls of the stomach are primarily affected. According to statistics, almost all people exposed to radiation find polyps.
For some reasons, we can distinguish age and hereditary predisposition. However, these are not the main sources. This means that with proper nutrition and careful attention to your health, polyps do not form even under the influence of genetics.
Classification
The choice of treatment for polyps in the stomach depends on many factors, one of which is the type of neoplasm. It is worth noting that the main classification involves the division into two types: morphological and quantitative. In turn, each of them is divided into subspecies, which we will consider in more detail.
So, morphological growths are:
- Adenomatous. The formation of these formations involves a change in glandular tissue into tubular or papillary structures. Polyps of this type are benign, but under the influence of certain factors can develop into malignant.
- Hyperplastic. The growths are epithelial in nature, are much more common adenomatous. It is worth noting that hyperplastic growths never degenerate, they remain benign formations.
The definition of the subspecies is performed by the attending doctor using a cytological examination. As for the number of polyps, there are also varieties:
- Single. This is one or more growths located at a relatively large distance from each other.
- Multiple. A lot of formations of various nature and size are localized in one place.
Of course, the second option is more dangerous. It is worth paying attention to the size of the polyp. Specialists in the field of medicine note that growths of more than two centimeters pose a threat to health. Such large formations often have an adenomatous nature.
Symptoms of polyps in the stomach
As we have already noted, as such, the signs of the disease, especially at its initial stage, are incredibly difficult to trace. The appearance and formation of polyps is mostly asymptomatic. Over time, aching dull pains in the abdomen. After eating, the patient has painful sensations that extend to the lower back.
One of the symptoms of polyps in the stomach is a decrease in appetite. The patient can quickly get enough, and after eating suffers from belching and heartburn. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth. A person with a benign neoplasm in the stomach quickly gets tired, feels the weakness of the body, flatulence is observed. If the growth has appeared in the antrum of the stomach, obstruction of the duodenum is detected. As a result, the patient suffers from severe abdominal pain.
The polyp can be covered with ulcers, this may cause internal bleeding. A person loses strength, therefore, becomes pale and weak. The above symptoms do not directly indicate the formation of growths, they can be associated with any disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Only a qualified doctor can diagnose the problem, the treatment of polyps in the stomach is prescribed to them.
Possible complications
The disease in question has a tendency to complications, especially if you ignore the symptoms and do not visit a doctor for a long period. The most common problems include:
- Difficulty in patency of the stomach. This is due to the size of the polyps; in this case, nausea, vomiting and heaviness in the abdomen are found in the patient.
- Education can move. Especially dangerous is the case when the polyp passes into the intestine with pinching. Then a person experiences strong painful sensations of an acute nature.
- Ulceration of neoplasms. The patient is found to vomit and feces with blood. When a large growth outbreak is affected, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract opens.
- The transformation of a benign tumor into a malignant one.
Polyps in the stomach: is it dangerous? Of course, after all, there is a likelihood of complications, and there may be a fatal outcome. Therefore, it is necessary to treat this problem at the initial stage. In order to detect the growth of growth in time, you need to undergo a regular medical examination at least once every six months.
Diagnostics
Experts conduct a lot of laboratory tests before they are determined with a diagnosis. After all, it is incredibly difficult to detect polyps in the stomach. Doctors have a thought about the possibility of a build-up when the symptoms could not be successfully linked to another gastroenterological disease. The help of a doctor is necessary, because self-medication can only achieve the worst result.
Routine examination and palpation will not help to identify the formation. You can find the polyp using x-ray and fibrogastroscopy. The first option perfectly reveals growths, determines their number and size. But if there are a lot of formations, radiography will be powerless, because the elements merge and display incorrectly. The endoscope allows you to visualize the structure, as well as determine the nature of the polyps.
If during laboratory tests, it was found that the growths are large and irregular in shape, a biopsy should be used. A small piece of neoplasm is cut off from the patient. His research allows you to once and for all discard the possibility of a diagnosis of stomach cancer. Along with these methods, some doctors use the results of laboratory tests. We will talk about how to treat polyps in the stomach below.
Traditional medicine
Taking medications and other appointments is carried out by the doctor. Depending on the nature of the neoplasm and the diagnosis, the attending physician is determined with treatment methods. There are three most popular methods: drug treatment, removal of the polyp in the stomach and folk remedies.
In a specific situation, a specialist prescribes certain drugs that are most effective. A good option is to take "Omeprazole", which provides a decrease in stomach activity and activates hydrochloric acid. If the disease is due to the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, Clarithromycin helps to rid the polyps in the stomach. Reviews about this drug are positive, but use should only be recommended by a doctor. The medicine "Rennie" eliminates unpleasant symptoms in the form of heartburn and pain.
Such therapy is able to cope with small growths. If there are many polyps, then taking medications only reduces the rapid progression of tumors. In general, medication is not often used when this problem occurs. Only an experienced qualified doctor will be able to choose a medication that will slow down the growth of the growth and destroy it. If the doctor decided to prescribe medication, along with this he prescribes a diet.
Proper nutrition
Many underestimate the importance of the diet for the restoration of internal organs. Diet in this case plays a decisive role, proper nutrition stops the destruction of the mucosa, helps prevent the development of the disease. From the diet, it is mandatory to exclude such products as:
- smoked meats, marinades, pickles and canned food;
- spicy, fatty and fried foods;
- rich broths, as well as products with dyes and food additives;
- coffee, strong tea.
The diet after the polyp of the stomach should be based on the consumption of vegetables, non-acidic fruits, dairy and sour-milk products, low-fat varieties of fish and meat. It is necessary to adhere to the diet, eat in small portions in a warm form. Before consumption, vegetables can be baked or steamed. Before you go on a diet, you need to get rid of bad habits like smoking and alcohol. If traditional methods of treatment, coupled with proper nutrition, do not help, you need to think about removing the polyp in the stomach.
Surgical intervention
There are types of neoplasms that are treated only by the surgical method. We are talking about large growths, as well as any adenomatous polyps. In addition, if formations with signs of degeneration are detected, surgical intervention is also necessary. Surgery to remove the polyp in the stomach is needed in cases of opening bleeding and getting growths in the intestines.
There are two main ways to remove the neoplasm: endoscopy and resection. In the first case, the operation is performed with single and multiple benign polyps. The essence of the method consists in cutting off growths using a special device and simultaneous electrocoagulation of their base. Surgical intervention is performed on an outpatient basis, the affected mucous membrane heals completely after two months. After four months, the patient must undergo a re-examination. In case of detection of new formations, endoscopy will have to be performed again.
Resection, or in another way the treatment of polyps by removing part of the stomach, is necessary in the following situations:
- polyps are quite large, have a fast growth rate;
- outgrown from benign tumors to malignant;
- there is a constant relapse, after removal occur again;
- bleed and merge with each other;
- disrupt the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Resection is a full-fledged operation, eliminating gastric polyps, which is performed under anesthesia in a hospital. Only a qualified surgeon can perform the action flawlessly.
It is worth noting that diets must be followed even after the removal of education. In addition, during the recovery period, you should visit the gastroenterologist from time to time, and when new symptoms appear, immediately inform the doctor.
Treatment of polyps in the stomach with folk remedies
It must be said that specialists do not approve of the use of traditional medicine methods, with the exception of rare cases. These funds will be effective in detecting small single growths. But do not discount traditional methods of treating polyps in the stomach. Reviews, of course, are contradictory, but alternative medicine must exist.
So, the most popular and effective recipes are:
- The infusion is celandine. A tablespoon of vegetation should be filled with half a liter of boiling water. This liquid must be cooled and taken one spoon four times a day in between meals.
- Oil (preferably olive) and honey. The recipe is very simple: you just need to mix the two ingredients. It is better to take one tablespoon an hour before meals. For the best effect, it is recommended to add a few drops of lemon juice to the mixture.
- Decoction of spruce branches. Boil a couple of small spoons of vegetation in a glass of water, drink several times a day instead of tea.
- Propolis. In itself, it is very useful for various diseases of the internal organs. You need to mix the butter with propolis and add the resulting mixture to warm milk, and then drink an hour before meals.
Even when using traditional therapy, you can not forget about the diet. To the above products, you can add viburnum, cabbage, turnips, pumpkin. Do not consume preservatives or colorings. According to traditional medicine textbooks, proper nutrition, accompanied by the use of herbal preparations, will reduce the number of tumors in the stomach. If the patient has many polyps, alternative medicine will help little. These funds are aimed primarily at alleviating the symptoms and alleviating the general well-being of the patient.
Forecast
Specialists in the field of medicine argue that if the diet is followed and irritants are eliminated with medical treatment, the prognosis is favorable. A similar situation with endoscopy, in such cases, relapse is rarely detected. However, with regard to resection, not everything is so rosy. Often, patients suffer from postoperative complications and impaired functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Removing part of the stomach rarely goes unnoticed, it’s understandable. Sometimes patients have impaired digestive function.
With the development of complications, the situation becomes very serious. In most cases, another operation is performed. The patient must understand that much depends on proper nutrition and conscientiousness in the implementation of medical prescriptions. The method of treatment also has an effect. Which method is most effective in a particular situation, the doctor decides. A favorable outcome of the disease is possible only through the joint efforts of a qualified doctor and patient.
Prevention
In our material, we examined the symptoms and treatment of polyps in the stomach. This information may not be necessary if you adhere to preventive recommendations. As such, the list of actions and the algorithm on this subject in modern medicine does not exist. You can prevent the formation of growths in the stomach with the help of gastritis.
It is the chronic form of this disease that is the main factor in the development of neoplasms. In order to prevent gastritis, it is necessary to abandon bad habits in the form of smoking and alcohol, control medication, and adhere to the principles of proper nutrition. Only diet foods should be included in the diet. Everything that irritates the mucous membrane and enhances the release of hydrochloric acid must be excluded from the regime.
It is worth noting that people over 40 years old must follow preventive measures in particular, because they fall into the risk area. Polyps in the stomach are rare. But when the doctor diagnoses the disease, you must immediately begin to treat it. It is quite difficult to detect growths, since the disease is asymptomatic. Often, pathology is detected by chance. Therefore, you must carefully monitor your health, regularly making medical examinations and examinations.